


Padfoot & Moony

by mad_martha



Series: Auror [17]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: AU, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-08-24
Updated: 2011-08-24
Packaged: 2017-10-23 01:01:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/244513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mad_martha/pseuds/mad_martha
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lupin raised a brow at his friend.  "When <i>are</i> you going to break this interesting bit of news to Harry, anyway?"</p><p>"When I can be sure he won't lock me up in a psychiatric ward at St. Mungo's," was Sirius's dry retort.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Padfoot & Moony

**Author's Note:**

> This was written after I was asked about the situation post _Circles of Power_ , specifically in relation to Lupin's son who is mentioned briefly in _One Week In The Summer_. The following three scenes are taken from an unfinished story I called _Sirius Black Had Six Daughters_. Scene two follows directly on from scene one; scene three comes from later in the storyline. I should stress that none of these scenes does more than mention Lupin Junior in passing, but they do give an idea of where I was thinking of going with the Auror series beyond _Circles_.

_  
**Scene One**   
_

"Padfoot, if you're going to lounge around and make a nuisance of yourself, you could at least help me to set up this obstacle course."

"I knew I did the right thing coming to _you_ for moral support," Sirius remarked, but he helped Lupin drag a large flat case out into the meadow in front of Hogwarts. "What is this anyway?"

"Stand back - " The other man flipped a couple of catches and the case slowly unfolded itself into a large, rather gooey-looking expanse of mud that bubbled and popped sluggishly. "Fred and George Weasley invented it - it's a portable swamp. Clever, eh?"

"Why didn't we think of that?"

"Probably because we were too busy nicking Butterbeer from Rosmerta's cellar. Drag that trunk over here, will you? Thanks."

"Which year gets this little horror as an exam?" Sirius asked, looking over the assault course.

"This is my standard exam for the third years," Lupin told him cheerfully.

"So what will Philippe be doing?"

"Duelling, of course. That's standard for the seventh years." Lupin glanced at him. "Speaking of Philippe, it was a Hogsmeade weekend last Saturday and he tells me that Harry turned up and dragged him into The Three Broomsticks."

"Oh?"

"Hm. Apparently Harry made a blatant attempt to pump him for information about your latest love interest."

Sirius snorted. Lupin's son, as it happened, was one of the very few who _did_ know the identity of Sirius's lady, but while he'd sniggered in a very juvenile way when he found out, he was reassuringly discreet. "And?"

Lupin grinned. "Philippe pulled his _very sorry, speak no English_ routine and nearly got thumped for it. Harry was _not_ amused."

Sirius chuckled. "Why didn't he just come and ask you?"

"Probably because he knows perfectly well that I'd only refer him back to you." Lupin raised a brow at his friend. "When _are_ you going to break this interesting bit of news to Harry, anyway?"

"When I can be sure he won't lock me up in a psychiatric ward at St. Mungo's," was Sirius's dry retort.

"Don't be an idiot, Padfoot! He's been nagging you to find yourself a nice witch ever since Voldemort was defeated."

"I don't think this is quite what he had in mind, though." Sirius dug his hands into his pockets moodily. "Be honest with me, Moony. Am I making a complete prat of myself?"

"Sirius." Lupin rolled his eyes. "Dyeing your hair pink and auditioning for the Wicked Wands when you were sixteen was making a prat of yourself - "

"Nice of you to tell me that now!"

"We told you then, but you wouldn't listen to us," Lupin pointed out. "And getting into a punch-up with James over Romilly Tapper was making a complete prat of yourself, when anyone could see that she was already going out with Claude Vickers. But would the pair of you listen to Peter and me?"

"And your point is?"

"My _point_ ," Lupin said, exasperated and affectionate, "is that if you and Fleur are happy together, then whether or not you look a complete prat to the uninitiated is hardly relevant, is it?"

"Yes, but will _Harry_ think I'm being a complete prat?" Sirius persisted.

"Sirius, in case you hadn't noticed, Harry _loves_ you. I really don't think he's going to start kicking up a fuss over your love life - he gets enough hassle over his own, after all." Lupin paused, and the corner of his mouth twitched mischievously. "But if you think you're going to get away without being teased unmercifully about your mid-life crisis, then you're living in Cloud Cuckoo Land!"

 

 _  
**Scene Two**   
_

 

"I _beg_ your pardon?"

Sirius looked up at the rafters for a moment and took a deep breath, bracing himself. So much for a nice quiet meal with friends, followed by a discreet announcement.

"I'm going to marry Fleur Delacour at Christmas," he repeated to the large bunch of dried lavender hanging above his head. "I already told Moony and Harry, but I wanted my friends to know before we made it public."

He lowered his head to look at Molly Weasley and tried not to flinch at her expression. Her eyes were practically dropping out in shock.

"Wait for it," Ron murmured wickedly in Harry's ear, as his mother drew a breath. "Here it comes …."

 _"SIRIUS BLACK, YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF!"_

Sirius winced and glanced sideways at Lupin, who was looking a little pained at the high-decibel explosion of wrath. His son Philippe, a lanky, seventeen-year-old copy of his father, was wide-eyed with astonishment at Mrs. Weasley's reaction; he'd only seen her in her 'mothering' mode before.

 _" - CARRYING ON WITH A GIRL YOUNG ENOUGH TO BE YOUR OWN DAUGHTER - "_

Arthur Weasley leaned across the table and topped up Sirius's wine glass with a wry smile.

 _" - ALTHOUGH I SHOULDN'T BE SURPRISED, SHE'S NO BETTER THAN SHE SHOULD BE - "_

"Mum, you're only saying that because she dumped Bill," Fred pointed out rather recklessly. He flattened himself against the back of his chair as she swung around to pin him with the glare of a basilisk.

"True," Bill himself chimed in cheerfully, before his mother could grab another breath and continue her rant. He leaned across the table and clinked his glass against Sirius's. "Congratulations, mate. I know you'll be very happy - although knowing Fleur, it'll probably kill you on your wedding night!"

Ron let out a bark of laughter that he tried, unsuccessfully, to turn into a cough. Harry elbowed him in his side.

"Well, I _never_ \- "

"Of course you have, Molly," Lupin interrupted her, amused. "You've got seven kids to prove it."

Ginny let out a nervous, wheezy giggle and tried to hide behind George. Lupin winked at her.

 _"Remus!"_ Molly cried, appalled.

"Well really!" He was still smiling, but there was a rather grim spark in his eyes when he looked at her. "What on earth are you making such a fuss about? To hear you talk, anyone would think Sirius was seducing some unsuspecting little girl straight out of school, not a sensible woman of nearly twenty-seven!"

"And I can guarantee it wasn't Sirius who did the seducing!" added Bill with a grin.

His mother rounded on him. " _That_ I can believe! If ever there was a girl who knew which side her bread was buttered - !"

Red faced and silent, Sirius got up. He wasn't going to sit around and listen to this.

"Molly, that's enough!" Arthur said sharply. He grabbed Sirius's arm. "Sirius, please - don't go."

"It's all right, Arthur. I knew some people would see it that way."

"Well, what do you expect?" Molly demanded. "I've always said that girl's a gold-digger, and you're a wealthy man, Sirius! Use your sense!"

"If Fleur was looking for a rich man, Mrs. Weasley, she'd have tried it on with me first," Harry pointed out. There was an unusual bite in his voice; he loved Mrs. Weasley but Sirius was his family. "I'm a lot wealthier than Sirius is, especially since he bought out the _Prophet_."

Sirius glanced down at him, fleetingly amused. "You need to work on your tact, Harry!"

"I just tell it the way I see it," Harry retorted, smiling back at him.

"Harry Potter, I can't believe you of all people would condone this!"

"Why not?" he demanded irritably. "If you must know, I think it's brilliant. I like Fleur. And why shouldn't Sirius get married?"

"To someone nearer his own age!" she protested.

Harry snorted. "Yes, but he lost thirteen years in Azkaban, so really he's not all that much older than me." He saw the quizzical looks the others were giving him. "What?"

"Er ... thanks, I think," Sirius said, bemused by this take on things.

Stymied on that front, Mrs. Weasley tried another tack. "Besides, what on earth must her poor parents think? A man of forty-five …."

"Actually, I think they were relieved," Lupin remarked. He took a reflective sip of his wine, ignoring the sharp look she gave him.

"I'll bet," Bill chuckled. "I'll tell you what - they weren't impressed when they met me!"

Mrs. Weasley nearly exploded all over again. "And what, pray, is wrong with a son of mine?"

"Oh, long hair - no money - dangerous job!"

"Oh, for crying out loud - enough!" Sirius burst out, losing patience. "Molly, in spite of what you might think, I'm not some senile old fool who met the girl just yesterday and decided to get married at the drop of a hat! We've been seeing each other since last Christmas and if you didn't know that already, it's because I knew exactly how you and a lot of other very small-minded people would react. If it was just me, I wouldn't care less what people said - God knows, I've had enough mud thrown at me over the years, a little more isn't going to make much difference - but I was damned if I was going to expose Fleur to such rubbish. And when you have the gall to accuse her of being a _gold-digger_ \- well, I would remind you that people said the exact same thing about your son when they found out he and Harry were living together. I seem to recall that you weren't very happy about it - think about that before you slander someone else's child!"

Giving her a final, scathing glance, he picked up his outer robe and tossed it over his shoulder, and turned to Arthur, offering him his hand.

"Arthur, I'm sorry but I'm going to cut and run. I have an appointment elsewhere anyway."

Arthur clasped his hand, looking troubled. "Sirius …."

"It's quite all right," he said quickly. "Really! Thanks for dinner. Good night, everyone."

He Disapparated before anyone could try to stop him.

 

 _  
**Scene Three**   
_

"The last time you came and slouched around my study," Lupin murmured, as he marked some four year homework, "you wittered on about bone-idle typesetters and would I, by the way, consider being your best man. What's on your mind this time, Padfoot?"

"I lured a better typesetter away from _Transfiguration Today_ ," Sirius remarked, toying with the curtain pull at the window.

"That certainly deserves a personal visit, and I'm flattered you came all the way to Scotland to tell me." Lupin tossed the last roll of parchment to one side and set down his quill. He sat back and regarded his friend with a lurking smile. "What's Harry up to these days?"

"God knows … flying around Holland this week, I think." Sirius dropped the curtain pull and stuffed his hands into his jeans pockets, turning to face Lupin. "I ran into Ron the day before yesterday and he was grumbling about a shoulder injury Harry had got from a bludger. Can't have been too bad, though, or I'd have had to restrain him."

Lupin chuckled. "He probably sent the culprit a Howler."

"He's pure Molly," Sirius agreed.

There was a pause.

"And not that I don't love to see you, but the reason for this visit is …?" Lupin prompted again.

"Oh, you know …."

"The rumours of me taking over from Sybil Trelawney are greatly exaggerated."

"Well, Moony, the thing is …." Sirius took a deep breath and took the plunge. "Apparently I'm going to need to take out Kennel Club membership."

"Sirius, what - oh!" Lupin's eyes widened. "Good Lord, really?"

"Looks that way," his friend admitted a little sheepishly.

"Padfoot, you idiot, that's marvellous news!" Lupin got up and dragged him into a hug. "Congratulations! Have you told Harry?"

"I told you, he's out of the country for at least for another week. I'm not about to put something like this in an owl."

"Perhaps you should, unless you're planning on not telling anyone else until he gets back."

"That's a point. Though I'm not sure about the best way to word it." Sirius grinned. _"Having lovely weather. Fleur's up the spout. How are you?”_

"I'm sure the editor of the _Daily Prophet_ can think of something suitable," Lupin chuckled. "In the meantime, let me dig out my secret stash of Ogden's. This is definitely a cause for celebration."


End file.
